3:00 P.M. GEAR CHECK DAY BEFORE CLIMB BEGINS
Meet at the Alpine Ascents Office at 2:45 p.m. for a mandatory gear check beginning at 3:00 p.m. the day before your climb is scheduled to begin. This gear check will last about 1-1.5 hours. You are required to attend this meeting. Please review the Gear Check information and come prepared. Please note transportation is not provided on this climb.
A valid Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at the trailhead. Annual Passes are available from a variety of local and online vendors, or you can purchase a Day e-Pass online for each day of your trip and print them at home.
Getting to Seattle
If you are flying into Seattle, SeaTac is the closest airport to our office. You are responsible for transportation between the airport and your hotel.
Getting from the Airport to the Office
Our office is 30-50 minutes from the airport (depending on traffic). Because you will drive yourself to the mountain, most climbers coming from out of town will rent a car at the airport.
If you are not renting a car, you can take a Lyft, Uber, or taxi directly from the airport to our office. Another option is taking the Light Rail (public transit) from the airport station to Westlake Station, followed by a Lyft/Uber/taxi the last 1.8 miles to the office. The Light Rail is $3 for this one-way trip and is easy to navigate from the airport.
Parking
Due to our location in the heart of Seattle, free parking can be difficult to locate in the vicinity of Alpine Ascents. Most parking is 2-hour metered street parking, and you may need to find a spot several blocks from our office. Please allow sufficient time before your gear check to park your vehicle.
Evening Return Day 4 of Climb
You will return to the trailhead usually between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on the last day of the climb. The team will de-issue gear at the trailhead at the conclusion of the climb. Climbers do not need to return to the Alpine Ascents Office after the climb.
Air travelers are strongly advised against booking flights out until the day after your climb concludes. Trip schedules will not be adjusted to accommodate return flights booked on the same day your climb concludes.
In Seattle
We recommend booking a room for the night before your climb and for the night your climb concludes. If you are returning to Seattle on Day 4, you can expect to arrive between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. and can return to your hotel. We strongly advise against flying out the night your climb concludes. Trip schedules will not be adjusted to accommodate return flights booked on the same day your climb concludes.
Recommended Hotel
The MarQueen Hotel: One block from our office and often able to offer a discount for our climbers. They are helpful and familiar with our programs. Please book early as Seattle hotels can be fully booked in summer months.
Reserve online: The Marqueen Hotel. Use promotional code “Alpine” to get discount.
We are located in lower Queen Anne, downtown Seattle, and are a short walk or taxi ride away from many other hotels. You may elect to stay in any one of the numerous hotels in the area. You will be responsible for getting to our office for your gear check on the first day of your climb.
Other Hotels Nearby:
Mediterranean Inn
(206) 428-4700
The Maxwell Hotel
(877) 298-9728
In Bellingham
We’ll be meeting at 7:30AM on Day 1 of our climb in Glacier, WA. It’s a very small town and there are not many traditional hotels. However, there are excellent and affordable rentals on AirBNB. Bellingham, Washington is farther away (~35 miles) but is a much larger town and has more lodging options and restaurants. We recommend finding a hotel on your preferred travel booking site at a price point that works for you, but a couple options are below.
Glacier Hotels
Blue-T Lodge
360-599-9944
Snowline Lodge
1-800-709-7669
Bellingham Hotels
GuestHouse Bellingham
360-671-9600
Heliotrope Hotel
360-201-2914
3:00 P.M. GEAR CHECK (DAY BEFORE CLIMB BEGINS)
Meet at the Alpine Ascents Office at 2:45 p.m. for a mandatory gear check beginning at 3:00 p.m. This takes place the day before your climb is scheduled to begin. Expect the gear check to last approximately 1-1.5 hours.
You are required to attend the gear check, so we can distribute and fit rental gear, do a thorough check of your gear, provide packing instruction, check personal lunch items, review the climbing route and trip itinerary, and answer any questions you may have.
Please attend the gear check in your normal street clothes.
What to Bring: Please bring all of your gear to gear check. Note that you do not need to pack carefully, as we look at every item together. Rental gear will be picked up at the gear check. You are responsible to bring all gear on the gear list except what you rent from Alpine Ascents.
Gear List
Link back to your gear list:
Check out this video for our 3 Day Muir Climb, which talks through many items on the gear list. The Baker North Ridge requires additional gear not shown here, but the video should give you a basic understanding of much of the gear you will need for the North Ridge.
Packing for your Climb
Oftentimes when packing for a trip it’s easy for the extras to pile up and weight to quickly build.
Read our blog post on How to Downsize your Pack to help with those critical item considerations for your upcoming climb!
Tents, Stoves, & Group Gear
We will be packing in everything we need for our four days on the mountain. Tents, stoves, and group food will be provided by Alpine Ascents and carried by everyone on the team. Please be aware that you will need space in your pack for these items. At gear check, climbers usually pair up to share a tent/stove to reduce individual pack weight.
Climbers will also help carry some of the group equipment, such as pickets, so make sure there is additional room in and on your pack for these items.
Menu Planning
On-mountain breakfasts and dinners are provided on the climb. You are required to bring your own lunches. If you have any food allergies or requirements, please include this information in your registration paperwork.
Overview
Food is one of the basic pleasures of wilderness travel. There are countless options for putting together healthy and delicious meals for your trip. For most climbs in the alpine environment, we eat approximately every hour during brief rest breaks. This constant intake is the most efficient way to fuel our bodies and meter our energy output as we climb. We do not stop for long “lunch breaks.” Your lunches should not require the use of a stove while on the mountain.
Basic Principles
A climbing outing requires higher energy expenditure on a daily basis than what you may be used to. Eating well and frequently not only sustains energy levels but also boosts morale and attitude. In addition, mountains often challenge climbers with inclement weather. It is important that caloric intake be high and regular to help avoid hypothermia and other cold weather or altitude-related problems.
- Your food should consist of a well-balanced selection of food groups. It is best to plan most meals with high levels of complex carbohydrates to provide the most efficient long-term energy production.
- Refined sugars and simple carbohydrates, found in candy and other items, provide quick, short-term energy.
- Proteins are necessary for good health, but not in the quantities that most eat. On a short trip (3–4 days) lower protein intake levels do not cause problems.
- Fats require much more oxygen and time to metabolize (especially at high altitudes) which can be an important consideration.
Consider foods that are light and compact. Balance this consideration with nutritional needs and packing foods that taste good to you. Packaging should be minimal, but without sacrificing good organization and weather-protection.
Alpine Ascents provides breakfasts, dinners, soups, and hot drinks for summit climbs. You will be responsible for providing your own lunches for 4 days. Listed below are sample lunch menus and a packing list for your climb. It is extremely important to bring the listed calorie amounts, though the exact items you bring may vary according to your preferences.
4 Day Climb Daily Menu Sample
Here is a sample of the types of things people bring with them for their daily lunches.
Day 1: Climb from trailhead at Heliotrope Ridge Trailhead (3,000’) to camp near Coleman Glacier (5,000 ft.)
Plan to bring approximately 1000 calories of lunch food for this day.
• Cold pizza or fresh sandwich
• Bagel with meat & cheese
• Your favorite candy bar
• Piece of fresh fruit
• Cold drink mix for your water
Day 2: Ice Climbing Training at camp (5,000 ft.) move to high camp (6,500 ft.)
Plan to bring 1000 calories of lunch food for this day.
• Bagel with meat & cheese
• Your favorite candy bar
• Some hard candies or chocolates
Day 3: Summit day (10,781’) & descent to camp (6,500’)
Plan to bring approximately 1200 calories of lunch food for this day.
• 4 energy bars
• 2 energy gels
• Your favorite candy bar
• Canister of Pringles
Day 4: Descend from Camp (6,500 ft.) to trail head (3,000 ft.)
Plan to bring 600-800 calories of lunch food for this day.
• Bagel with meat & cheese
• Your favorite candy bar
• Some hard candies or chocolates
Sample Lunch Packing List
This list is intended as a sample packing/shopping list to create a complete “lunch bag” suitable for a 4-day climb.
Jerky (Beef, Turkey, or Soy) 8–10 oz Bag
Trail Mix 2 cup
Salty Snack Mix 3/4 qt
Energy Bars 2 Bars
Corn Nuts 1 Packet
Large Cookies 2 Packs
Candy Bars 2 Bars
Granola Bars 2 Bars
Crackers (Peanut butter or Cheese 2 Packages
Bagels (1 per day) 3 Bagels
String Cheese 2 sticks
Cheddar Cheese Squares 2 Squares
Mini Cheese Rounds 2 Rounds
Mixed Dried Fruit 1/4 qt Bag
Hard Candy 1/4 qt Bag
Cold Drink Mix (w/ electrolytes) 3 Packets
Energy Gel 1 Packet
Gallon Zip-lock Bag 2 Bags
Caloric info: www.whatscookingamerica.net/NutritionalChart.htm
LNT
All Nights of Climb
Sleeping arrangements: 2 per tent.
Bathroom: Go Anywhere Waste Kits (pack it out).
Cell coverage: Sporadic service with various providers. Clear days offer better cellular reception.
Leave No Trace
Alpine Ascents International practices Leave No Trace principles on all expeditions. We believe that given the proper information most people will do all they can to help protect and maintain the environment. Please Visit:
7 Principles of Leave No Trace
As guides, we spend time teaching the environmentally appropriate Leave No Trace principals and practices. There is nothing more beautiful than working hard to get high into the mountains, come upon a pristine campsite, witness incredible views and have the feeling that no one has been there before.
Conversely, there is nothing more disheartening than working hard to climb a mountain, reaching a site and encountering trash, food waste and toilet paper. Please read the seven LNT principles, and call the office if you have any questions about what you can do to plan ahead.
Tipping
Guides are permitted to accept and greatly appreciate tips. Your guide team is composed of four guides. They will pool all tips received. An average tip for the full guide team is $175-225.
Please be aware that we are unable to process tips by card. You are welcome to tip your guides with cash or via mobile payment such as Venmo or PayPal.
Our guides did an outstanding job. The climb was challenging but we felt safe at all times. They pushed us physically, but never had us outside our comfort zone. We lucked out with beautiful weather, and the North Ridge was spectacular!
